Tritium processing system for the ITER Li/V Blanket Test Module

Abstract

The purpose of the ITER Blanket Testing Module is to test the operating and performance of candidate blanket concepts under a real fusion environment. To assure fuel self-sufficiency, the tritium breeding, recovery and processing have to be demonstrated. The tritium produced in the blanket has to be processed to a purity which can be used for refuelling. All these functions need to be accomplished so that the tritium system can be scaled to a commercial fusion power plant from a safety and reliability point of view. This paper summarizes the tritium processing steps, the size of the equipment, power requirements, space requirements, etc. for a self-cooled lithium blanket. This information is needed for the design and layout of the test blanket ancillary system and to assure that the ITER guidelines for remote handling of ancillary equipment can be met.

Recent developments in IFE safety and tritium research and considerations for future nuclear fusion facilities

“…Given the impact of the tritium recovery efficiency upon the safety and sustainability of the fuel cycle, we have conducted a detailed assessment of possible alternatives. Several options have been evaluated based on previous studies and available literature, including permeable windows [21][22][23], gettering process [24,25], cold trap [26][27][28], distillation [29][30][31][32], molten salt extraction [33][34][35][36][37], and combination of gettering and molten salt extraction [38]. Based on a pre-conceptual functional requirements analysis, the molten salt extraction method was selected as primary candidate due to its capability to achieve lower inventories, moderate energy requirements, low estimated capital cost and faster dynamic response.…”